A transatlantic Air Canada flight on Wednesday took a sudden and dramatic turn after it was intercepted by Canadian and US fighter jets over the North Atlantic air corridor. NORAD scrambled both Canadian CF-18s and US F-16s — as well as a supporting KC-135 refueling tanker — to escort the Boeing 777 after it was discovered that a passenger onboard was flying using stolen air miles.

The security breach was discovered mid-flight when the real owner of the Aeroplan points tried to board another Air Canada flight. This triggered a major response, as they were apparently already traveling on the aforementioned flight from Brussels to Montreal.

Air Canada Flight Escorted By Jets After Points Theft

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As first reported by Le Journal de Quebec, the unusual incident took place on Wednesday as Air Canada flight AC833 was nearing the end of its seven-hour journey from Brussels Airport (BRU) to Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL). At around 12:00 PM EDT, as the flight was one hour away from Montreal, passengers were shocked to see the aircraft flanked by two fighter jets, one a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CF-18 Hornet, and the other a United States Air Force (USAF) F-16 Fighting Falcon.

North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) had scrambled the fighter jets after it was discovered that one of the passengers on the flight was traveling under a false identity after using another person’s Aeroplan points. The actual owner of these points had then attempted to board a separate Air Canada flight, which understandably triggered a security alert. The jets, supported by a USAF KC-135 tanker, escorted the Boeing 777-300ER for the remaining hour of the flight before it landed safely in Montreal. Simple Flying has reached out to Air Canada for more information on this incident and will update this story accordingly.

Two Suspects Arrested And Released

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The aircraft was met by law enforcement, and the passenger — reported as a 27-year-old man — was arrested. His luggage was also removed from the plane as a suspicious package before being screened by authorities. The man was questioned but eventually released and is not currently facing any charges.

Another man in his 30s, believed to be connected to the Aeroplan thief, was also arrested but was released shortly after. Apparently, authorities had made a mistake, and the two individuals were not known to each other.

Air Canada Aeroplan is the carrier’s frequent flyer program that allows members to accumulate points, which can later be redeemed on flights or other perks, like cabin upgrades. Selling or trading points is strictly prohibited, although there are “black market” methods for members to sell off points. As you would expect, airlines take a dim view of such transactions and will typically ban accounts suspected of doing this.

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Was The Response Overkill?

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Scrambling fighter jets is an expensive measure reserved only for the most serious security breaches. According to Department of Defense (DoD) figures, the cost per flight hour of an F-16 can reach as high as $25,000, while a KC-135 typically costs over $18,000 per flight hour.

In this case, NORAD was acting on reports of a traveler flying with a false identity and was not taking any chances, given the current geopolitical climate. The ongoing conflict with Iran has put authorities on high alert, particularly after the Iranian regime declared it would be willing to target US cities with terror attacks.

Fighter jets are scrambled to intercept civilian planes for a few reasons. Firstly, they aim to establish a line of sight on the cockpit to ensure the pilots remain in control of the plane. If the aircraft has gone silent and is no longer communicating with air traffic control (ATC), fighters can communicate with the aircraft using alternative methods. In the most extreme scenarios, fighter jets are authorized to shoot down commercial airliners if they are deemed a threat to national security.